Lycopenes For Smoother Skin

Add red to your diet. Good skin creams contribute to smoother skin. But they do little to counteract skin damage done by smoking, too much alcohol and poor diet. Studies show that "lycopene", which is a nutrient contained in foods that are red, may be of benefit to smoother, healthier and more youthful looking skin. Lycopenes are a type of "carotenoid". It is found naturally in foods that are red including tomatoes, particularly tomato paste, tomato sauce and ketchup which contain higher levels of lycopene. Other foods that contain lycopenes are apricots, watermelon, guavas and pink grapefruit.

A controlled study. Researchers with the European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics gave twenty-five young adults a lycopene rich diet for four weeks followed by a 25 milligram lycopene supplement for another three months. A the end of the four month period, they looked at the participant’s skin using spectroscopy and found they had higher levels of carotenoids, including lycopene and beta-carotene, in their skin. Carotenoids are strong antioxidants that help to reduce inflammation, which has a positive impact on skin aging. A previous study published in the same journal found that higher skin lycopene levels were associated with smoother skin.

Lycopenes help reduce oxidative damage. When skin levels of lycopenes are higher, it helps to reduce oxidative damage that occurs from daily exposure to the sun and other environmental pollutants. As a study showed, higher levels of skin lycopenes reduces skin roughness. Higher levels of lycopene in the skin also block ultraviolet rays to some degree. However, sunscreens are still necessary.

How much lycopene do you need for better skin? Most experts recommend consuming between 25 to 75 milligrams of lycopene each day. A half cup of tomato sauce has around 22 milligrams of lycopene and one cup of tomato juice has 20 milligrams. With a little diet planning, it's not hard to consume a recommended amount. Have a glass of tomato juice each morning. Add tomatoes to soups or slice them for in between meal snacks. The tomato-based sauces with Italian food are a good choice. Lycopene supplements are usually available at your local health food store.